Hour 3 of AEW’s Saturday night programming starts… now!
- Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura
- Four-Way Elimination Match: RVD vs. Isiah Kassidy vs. Lee Johnson vs. Komander
- Kyle O’Reilly, Matt Menard, & Rocky Romero vs. The Undisputed Kingdom
AEW Rampage 4/20/24
Live from the Peoria Events Center in Peoria, Illinois!
Moxley says the stakes are higher next week and his hand only get steadier. Next week, Moxley will give Hobbs a gift of finding out who he really is. Don’t hesitate for one second, because Moxley won’t.
PANTERA.
Match #1. Elimination Four-Way Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Isiah Kassidy vs. Lee Johnson vs. Komander
Diving kick to the face by RVD to Kassidy. Spinning back kick to Johnson. Running back kick in the corner by RVD to Kassidy and a monkey flip out of the corner. Rolling Thunder by RVD! Two count. RVD gets sent to the floor and Johnson takes everyone out with a plancha before landing on his feet! Blue Thunder Bomb to Kassidy gets two. Johnson tries to Roll the Dice but Kassidy goes to the eyes and rolls him up with the tights for the pin. Johnson is eliminated. Baseball slide by Johnson to RVD on the outside. Back in the ring, Komander with a dropkick and a running forearm in the corner. Komander hits the ropes and double jumps on to the top with an asai moonsault to the floor on Kassidy! RVD meets Komander with a dropkick and Komander counters a powerbomb into a hurricanrana on the floor. Springboard senton by Komander! Two count. Komander goes up top and walks the ropes but Kassidy shakes the ropes and Komander lands hard. Kassidy runs into a boot from RVD, who then sends Komander to the floor with a boot to the face. RVD looks for the split-legged moonsault but Marc Quen pulls him out of the ring. Komander doesn’t care as he walks the ropes and hits a Shooting Star Press for the three count. RVD and Komander now trade roll ups before RVD lands a Northern Light’s suplex. Two count. Komander goes up top but so does RVD. RVD kicks Komander off the top and hits the Five Star Frog Splash for the win!
Winner: Rob Vadn Dam
Thoughts: All things considered, any chance RVD wasn’t winning this one? RVD looked a little slower than the last time we saw him, but he played the hits and all of the other guys were good background noise.
Match #2. Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura
Lost my feed for a second here but Sakura is in control, heavy chops in the corner followed by flying body block. Sakura fakes a back hand, gets Yuka to react, and then pokes her in the eye Commercial break now. Returning from commercial and Sakura hits the running crossbody to Yuka, as she’s resetling against. Double underhook backbreaker by Sakura gets two. Sakura heads up top and taunts the fans by “sipping tea” on the top rope. Yuka catches her with an enziguiri and Sakura is seated on the middle turnbuckle. Yuka grabs a waist lock and deadlifts Sakura into a German suplex. One, two, three!
Winner: Yuka Sakazaki
Rating: NR. My feed was in and out this match so a rating wouldn’t be fair, but the fans were heavily behind Yuka the entire way.
Sakura seems to roll out of the ring after the match just fine and taunt the fans at ringside in a weird scene, as she heads to the back.
Footage from after Dynamite is shown, as Angelo Parker hits the ring. Parker said he’s lost a lot this year, friends, mentors, his girl, etc. and he teases his retirement, but Ruby Soho’s music hits. Ruby is crying and says that Angelo has something else to fight for… Ruby’s pregnant!
Match #3. Kyle O’Reilly, Rocky Romero, & Matt Menard vs. The Undisputed Kingdom
Kyle and Bennett start. Shoulder block by Benntt and a kitchen sink by Kyle. Taven tags himself in and here’s Rocky. Taven misses a spinning back kick and Rocky’s here with a step-up hurricanrana. Clotheslines by Rocky in the corner to Taven. Bennett is in and he eats some right hands. Powerbomb/Zig Zag combo by The Kingdom! Strong in now and he chops the daylights out of Rocky in the corner. Catapult into an enziguiri by The Kingdom. Senton by Taven. Two count. Dropkick by Taven and the UK are making quick tags, keeping Rocky in trouble. Inside-out kick by Rocky to avoid an ankle lock by Strong, but Taven gets the tag and clotheslines Rocky in the back of the head. Double hurricanrana by Rocky to both Taven and Bennett and Menard gets the tag! Clotheslines to Bennett and mounted punches in the corner. Menard runs into a boot but catches a second boot and locks in the Boston Crab. Taven is here… Kick of the King! Taven-sault gets another two count. Kyle gets the tag and he cleans house. Axe and Smash to Taven! Straight armbar on Bennett before transitioning into a triangle choke. Kyle locks an ankle lock on Taven at the same time but Strong is here with a boot to break it up. Strong and Kyle now bring the head as the go chop-for-kick in the middle! Knee to the face by Kyle! Strong catches a kick and connects with a backbreaker. Kyle walks into a boot but locks in another armbar and Strong taps, but Bennett made a blind tag. Low dropkick by Bennett to Kyle’s face. Pop-up Boston Bayonet by Bennett! Kyle with the rebound lariat and a brainbuster! Bennett gets out at two but Kyle transitions to an armbar and Bennett taps immediately!
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, & Matt Menard
Rating: ***1/4. Nice fire here in the main event. The Kingdom are criminally underrated and Kyle looks to be in absolute top form. The International Championship match tomorrow should be fantastic.
After the match, Kyle tells Roddy to take some pics with that belt because tomorrow, he’s going to rip his arm off and take his title.
Final Thoughts: Live Rampage just hits different, we know that. Kudos to the fans for staying into it tonight throughout all three hours, but Rampage was an entertaining sixty-minute sprint. Dynasty is in 21 hours, baby, time to caffeinate. 7.25/10.Â
